Machine for opening and cleaning cotton.



PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

R. E. EVANS. MACHINE FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11,

N0 MODEL.

JNVENT 0 T TOJZNEYT UNITED STATES Patented August 4, 1903.

PATENT- OFFICE.

RICHARD E. EVANS, OF NEW HARTFORD, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,076, dated August 4, 1903.

Application filed December 11, 1902; Serial No. 134,732. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD E. EVANS, of New Hartford, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opening and Cleaning Cotton, 650.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improvement in machines for opening and cleaning cotton or other fibrous material which will reduce the amount of waste in such machines as heretofore constructed and at the same time not decrease the capacity or efficiency of the machine.

In the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a portion of an opening and cleaning machine embodying the features of my construction. Fig. 2 shows, partially in section and partially in perspective, on an enlarged scale, a part of the construction shown in Fig. 1, showing more particularly the feeding-rollers, the upper two grids, and the apron or closing device between the lower feed-roller and the first grid. Fig. 3 shows on cross-section a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 shows, partially in cross-section and partially in perspective, a modified form of construction. Fig. 5 shows in the same manner still another modified form of construction.

Referring to the reference letters and figures in a more particular description, 1 indicates a beater mounted on an arm 2 on a rotary shaft 3. Two or more of the boaters 1 may be employed, as may be required. Constituting a portion of what might be called the casing, in which the beater 1 revolves, is an open section consisting of grids or gridbars 4 4, &c., arranged, preferably, on a quarter of a circle and with their edges, as a a, projecting more or less toward the circle described by the beater beyond the rear edge I) of the next adjacent grid or grid-bar. Ar-

ranged in a horizontal plane substantially with the shaft 3 are the feed-rollers 5 and 6, the former being mounted, preferably, in stationary bearings and the roller 6 being an adjustable roller. For carrying the material to the feed-roller there is provided a carrierbelt 7, passing around the belt-roller 8, arranged adjacent to the feed-roller 5. The interval of space usually provided between the adjacent edge or side of the first gird 4 and the adjacent feed-roller 5 is usually from three-quarters of an inch to an inch and a half. This space is necessary in order to obviate breakage of the first grid-bar by accumulations of cotton or material on the lower roller 5, which frequently occur. Likewise this space between the first grid-bar 4 and the roller 5 also provides an escapeopening, through which cotton, as well as dirt, may pass, causing a large loss or waste in the cotton, as this is the most vital point, being the point at which the beater first comes into operation on the cotton beingfed through the feed-roller. In order to obviate as far as possible the unnecessary Waste of material at this point, I provide an apron 10 of flexible material, preferably leather. In order to retain the efficiency of the first grid-bar 4 as a cleaner, I mount the apron 10 on the gridbar by means of thin flexible spacing-pieces 11, preferably of leather or some similar material and located at intervals along the bar 4 and extending from the rear stationary side of the apron around on its face to a point where they engage with the feed-roller 5. By this arrangement there is provided an opening A for dirt and refuse under the stationary side of the apron and the effective edge a of the first grid 4 is not interferred with, while the objectionable opening before mentioned is effectively closed. In case of accumulation of material on the roller 5 it will press down the free edge of the apron without doing any harm. When free from any accumulation, the free side of the apron, or a point somewhat back from the free edge, runs in contact with the under suface of the roller 5. Instead of the spacing-pieces 11 extending substantially the whole width of the apron, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I may dispense with the extension portion and only employ the part immediately between the stationary side of the apron and the side of the gird-bar, as shown in Fig. 5 and indicated at 12. These supports or spacingpieces 12 for the apron may be provided at suitable intervals along the grid-bar and are also efiective in providing the slot-like opening A. Still another modified form of construction is shown in Fig. 4, where I provide on the outer side of the stationary edge of the apron a bar 15, extending the whole length of the grid-bar and supported at each end by blocks 16 under the ends of the bar and between the apron and the side of the gridbar. The apron is secured at intervals, as a: m, by rivets or other means to the supportingbar 15, and in this construction the useful slotopening A is also retained.

Other modifications and changes than those herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an opening and cleaning machine for cotton, &c., the combination of feed-rollers, a beater, grid-bars, a flexible apron mounted on the grid-bar nearest to the feed-roller by means providing a slot-like opening between the apron and the grid-bar, said apron turning back over with its free side in contact with the feed-roller, substantially set forth.

2. The combination in a machine for opening and cleaning cotton, &c., of feed-rollers, a beater, grid-bars and a flexible apron mounted on the grid-bar adjacent to the feed-rollers by pieces located at intervals along the gridbars providing openings between the secured edge of the apron and the grid-bar, said apron turning upwardly and over and having its free side in contact with the adjacent feedroller, substantially as set forth.

3. In a beating and cleaning machine for cotton, &c., feed-rollers, a beater, grid-bars, and means for closing with the yielding closure the space between the first grid-bar and the adjacent feed-roller mounted back from the working side of the grid-bar, and in a manner to afiord a dirt-escape opening between the edge of the closing devices and the side of the grid-bar, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 8th day of December, 1902.

RICHARD E. EVANS.

Witnesses:

J. BENJ. BRADY, S. A. BROWN. 

